RUBBISH and recycling collections by council staff based at its Wareham depot should soon improve.

The promise has been made after Owermoigne councillor Nick Ireland complained about missed collections over the past 12 months from villages in his ward, including Crossways.

He says he was told at the time of his initial complaints that the depot was short of drivers and had also suffered a series of vehicle breakdowns.

Further investigation revealed that the council was paying less for drivers than neighbouring areas and staff were leaving to get an increase in pay, leaving the remaining staff struggling to fill the rotas.

Cllr Ireland has now been told that the drivers' pay across Dorset has been reviewed and improved and a recruiting drive is underway.

The council has also refurbished the depot and has temporarily hired an extra vehicle to help cope with demand.

Complaints were also made by Cllr Beryl Ezzard who said that residents had to suffer missed collections at the hottest period of the year over a number of weeks.

“ I was being told in July/August of staff absences; sickness and holidays, plus truck breakdowns, in circumstances with no spare capacity or backup plan. Why?”

She also said that residents had found the Dorset Council website unhelpful, out of date or inaccurate for information on collections.

She was told that the site had been updated now with a new online facility to report or find out about problems, with those without internet able to phone the DorsetforYou helpline.